


What Dreams May Come

by mossadspydolphin



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dreamwalking, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Finale What Finale, M/M, Post-Episode: s15e20 Carry On, Shovel Talk, gratuitous cross-fandom references because i'm Like That
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:48:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29173680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mossadspydolphin/pseuds/mossadspydolphin
Summary: Dean receives an unexpected oneiric visitor
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Kudos: 15





	What Dreams May Come

For some reason he could not fathom, Dean Winchester was in law school. It didn’t have LAW SCHOOL written in big letters on the front, but he knew that he was in law school, and he was bored. Too bored. It wouldn’t matter if he walked out of class, he thought, and immediately he was outside.

He held an orange juice and watched the polar bears splash around in their pond. They looked happy. So did the little dinosaurs, an enclosure over. George Washington had done a good job with this place. 

Dean decided to congratulate him. “Hey,” he said to the first president of the United States. “Nice zoo.”

Washington straightened his sombrero. “Thank you,” he said. “This is my life’s work.”

“My God,” said Balthazar, replacing Washington. Regrettably, he was not wearing the sombrero. “This is what Dean Winchester dreams about?”

Dean did a double take. “You?”

“Me.”

“Are you doing that dreamwalking thing? Dude, let a man rest. What if I’d been dreaming about something personal?”

“Oh, I’ve seen those dreams, too,” Balthazar said with a smirk, and Dean decided never to think about this again, ever. “And my brother’s, now that he’s human. Actually, he’s why I’m here.”

“What about Cas?” Other than losing his grace, his time in the Empty didn’t seem to have affected Cas. No monsters had come after them; Dean had thought things were finally looking up. But Balthazar’s presence didn’t bode well. “Is something going on with him?” 

A man offered Dean and Balthazar cheese. They both declined. 

“ _Y_ _ou’re_ going on with him,” said Balthazar. “Now don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you two finally pulled your heads out of your respective asses and got down to business. But you see, Dean, Castiel is my little brother. Maybe not so little, but I do think of him that way. And you of all people should understand that I feel a certain duty toward him.”

Dean nodded. No matter how old he got, Sam would always be that bratty little kid Dean would kill for when he didn’t want to kill him.

“About Castiel,” Balthazar continued as the scene switched to them hovering over a hot dog stand in the desert. “Don’t get me wrong--he was a model angel, until he met you: perfectly obedient, loyal, always gave a task everything he had. That was part of the reason he was assigned to rescue you. But he was also...let’s just say different. He was admired, but definitely what you might call one of the weirder angels in the garrison.”

Dean started to object, but realized he didn’t have much of an argument. So he settled for saying, “I like his weird.”

“Yes, it can be rather endearing at times. My point is, I’m rather protective when it comes to Cassie. And now he’s your boyfriend.”

Suddenly it all became clear to Dean. Ridiculous as it seemed, there was only one explanation. “Hold on--are you giving me a shovel talk?”

“A...oh, yes, I suppose I am.” Balthazar smiled. “If I feel that you are making Castiel unhappy, or hurting him in any way, you will summon the wrath of angels. Ta.” He disappeared, leaving Dean alone to process the conversation, and the sudden introduction of more dinosaurs.

And then Dean was back at law school, sitting next to Elle Woods of all people, a truly stunning plate of waffles in front of him. He pushed aside the persistent cheese man, lifted the fork to his mouth, and woke up.

He was in his bedroom. It was almost completely dark, and there was no sound save Miracle’s loud snoring at the foot of the bed. Dean twisted around to check the time on his phone--it was just past three.

“Dean?” Cas said sleepily. Dean’s motion must have woken him, or more likely the light from the phone. “Something wrong?”

Dean imagined telling Balthazar that he’d woken Cas up unnecessarily. “No, no. Nothing wrong. Hey, Cas. Are you happy? There anything I could be doing better?”

“No, Dean.” It was too dark to make out expressions, but Dean knew that Cas was wearing his confused face. “I’m very happy. Why?”

“Oh, no reason.”

They went back to sleep, and blessedly uninterrupted dreams.


End file.
